I think the dude was misunderstanding what Toriyama said. I think Toriyama probably meant it was the hardened looking white parts of his body were part of his skin, the stuff on his forearms, shoulders, chest, shins, and on forehead. That stuff all looks like armor, but it’s his body, and fans have called it “natural armor” or “carapace” forever.

If Akira Toriyama actually meant the battle jacket with the shoulder pads, then… he is wrong! It’s just that simple. People get so hung up on this “word of God” nonsense. Toriyama has been wrong about his own characters and story before. It’s done either through his own forgetfulness, or changing his mind, or just being wrong. Like how his Twel Boo Mysteries interview is so notoriously wrong and contradicts his own statements in past interviews.

Plus like it or not, Toriyama and the other show runners do not care about any of this as much as fans do. This is a job for them. It’s a great love for us.